Vanish
by SingerOfTheNight
Summary: Her husband may have bound her body to him, but her heart belonged to someone else. Slight AU.


**_So, hello everyone! This is my first Avatar fanfiction, even though I have been watching the show ever since it aired haha. _**

**_Excuse Zuko's slight OOC. I tried not to modify him too much._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender._**

The fish slipped out of her chopsticks when she went to pick it up. She sighed quietly, silent enough so that no one at the dining table would hear.

Well, excluding _him_.

She glanced at the spot where he always sat and watched as his lips grew into a soft smile, amused by her frustration. She felt her own mouth lift up in the corners in reaction to his gaze, and quickly looked down, trying not to capture anyone else's attention.

"Katara, would you rise with me?"

She jumped slightly, startled as the man sitting beside her outstretched his hand for her to take. Zuko was his name.

And she hated him.

She slapped on a well-rehearsed, plastic smile that she knew would fool Zuko and took his hand gracefully, the whole time feeling _his _eyes on her.

Zuko lifted her out of her seat and wrapped his arm around her waist, making her want to push him away in disgust but she didn't.

She remained obedient.

Zuko picked up his golden goblet and tapped on it for a moment in order to get everyone's attention. "Thank you all for joining me tonight, my wife and I enjoy having dinner with you all." Everyone bowed their heads, even _him_. "I would like to make a toast in honor of all of our outstanding Admirals and their performances in last weeks battle against the resistance. Admiral Zhao, Admiral Yu, and Admiral Xin Fu, congratulations on a job well done."

Everyone clapped as said Admirals stood and bowed with smug smiles on their faces. After they had seated again, Zuko continued. "But there is someone else I would like to toast to as well." Katara knew what was about to happen, and so did the man who she was currently locking eyes with from his seat. "General Aang, would you please rise." It wasn't a question, it was a demand.

Katara unwillingly tore her eyes away from him as he stood. They could not risk getting caught. "As we all know, certain parts of this nation are stirring up nonsense in the land. General Aang here is the reason that most of these uprisings have been subdued. I would just like to take a moment and thank him for his hard work throughout these tough times." Everyone clapped and bowed their heads towards Aang in appreciation, and he in turn bowed his own shaved head with a smile that only she knew was cold. To everyone else, it just looked like a humble smile, not one filled with loathing and anger and disgust. She knew him too well to think differently.

Aang sat back down and servants proceeded to come into the dining hall and begin to clear away the plates and silverware from the table. Zuko said a few more words, kissed her cheek, and dismissed the dinner.

Zuko took hold of her hand and squeezed it to the point which it caused her to wince in pain. He began to lead her from the dining hall and towards the direction of their palace bedroom, not even bothering to loosen his tight grip on her hand.

"Esteemed Lord Zuko, may I please have a moment of your time?" Admiral Zhao appeared in front of them, bowing at the waist.

Zuko sighed, turned towards her and whispered in her ear so that no one could hear him. "You may go to the gardens if you wish, but I expect you to be back to the chambers before eleven."

He let go of her hand and when he was gone from her sight, she let out a relieved breath of air. She looked back at the spot where she had last saw Aang and disappointment encased her when he was no longer there.

She shook her head and walked to the opposite hall of the palace bedrooms. Zuko, most of the time, doesn't allow her to go anywhere except for their bedroom and the gardens located on the north side of the palace.

She supposed it came with the job description of being a horrible man's unwilling wife.

She walked along the hallway that was always empty except for the occasional servant coming by to sweep the floors.

Zuko was brilliant. To the outside world, he was perfect. He always spoke to others in a charmingly deceptive voice that fooled everyone into thinking that he alone was right for the throne. He displayed incredible intelligence in using his words to manipulate those around him, making them bend to his will. To the outside world, he was flawless.

But to her, he was a monster.

He showed a side to her that she wished the rest of the world could see. In all reality, he was abusive, destructive, and downright cruel. She was trapped inside this world he had forced her into, and bound to him in the worst way possible.

But deep down, she knew he loved her.

But she could never love him.

A hand was placed over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a toned chest. Her body was lifted from the ground and the next thing she knew, her back was being pressed against a wall.

Her husband may have bound her body to him, but her heart belonged to someone else.

Aang smiled and took his hand off her mouth and placed it on her waist along with his other one. "Nice meeting you here."

She smiled widely at him and playfully punched his shoulder. "You scared me."

He kissed the tip of her nose and pressed their foreheads together. "Sorry. Forgive me?"

"I don't know." She ran a finger down his jaw. "That was awfully mean."

His smile grew even more at her teasing. "Oh, really? Well, what if I do this…"

His fingers moved up to her ribcage and started prodding that area until she began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Please-Aang-S-Stop!" Her eyes were beginning to water from mirth.

"Not until you forgive me!" He said, laughing a bit himself.

She tried to push his hands away from her, but to no avail. "I-for-forgive-y-you!"

He automatically stopped tickling her and placed his hands back at her waist. "Now, was that so hard?"

She wiped her eyes and smiled at him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in for an embrace. "I needed that. Thank you."

He buried his face into her hair. "Rough day?"

She closed her eyes. "Rough week."

Aang sighed regrettably. Zuko hadn't let Katara leave his side for a minute this entire week. He does that sometimes. Those times are the worst.

"I've missed you." He said, kissing her hair.

"I've missed you too."

He pulled away from her, only to press his lips against hers. The kiss was long and slow, but also fierce and needy. Almost like they might never see each other again.

She knows that isn't true though.

Aang would never let that happen, and neither would she. As long as she had him, she could keep going, keep living this life as Zuko's wife. As long as she had him, she could do anything.

Aang broke the kiss and stared at her, his grey eyes intense. "I love you, Katara."

Voices interrupted her blissful thoughts and sent her mind reeling. Aang grabbed her hand quickly. "Katara, Zuko is having tea with General Iroh tomorrow at the Jasmine dragon. I don't know when, so whenever he leaves tell him you're sick, then send Suki to come find me. I don't want to spend another day without you. I'll meet you at your room." Their lips come into contact again, albeit briefly.

The voices drew closer. "Aang!" She said urgently when he turned to leave. "I love you too."

He beamed at her and kissed her again. She turned toward the direction the voices were coming from. "Aang, you need to-"

But when she turned back around, he was already gone.

Katara closed the door softly behind her and headed towards the king-sized bed in the center of the room. She sighed as she fell into the soft cushion of the bed, her muscles relaxing and eyes closing. She pulled her hair ties out and allowed her locks to fall around her face. She kicked her shoes off and removed all the jewelry that adorned her body before climbing under the sheets and closing her eyes.

She was going to see Aang tomorrow. Her eyes flew open at the thought of how she was going to convince Zuko that she was sick. She reluctantly crawled out of bed and walked to the other side of the room, opening a small chest and bringing out two cotton blankets. She went back to the bed and got her pillow, dragging it across the floor and into the bathroom she and Zuko shared.

She laid the first blanket on the floor and threw the pillow on top of it, settling down into the small nest she made. She pulled the blanket over her and closed her eyes again. Even though the floor was hard and uncomfortable, it was worth it to see Aang.

She didn't hear him come in, nor did she register the bathroom door opening. She did, however hear him say her name. She opened her eyes sleepily and felt Zuko's hand grab her arm. "What's wrong with you?"

She gulped. "I-I'm not sure. As soon as I came in…from the gardens…my stomach felt like it was about to explode. I just sat in here and I've been getting sick for a while now…"

"You know I'm having tea with Uncle tomorrow. I told him you'd be there." There was no concern for her in his voice. He would never show a weakness like that.

Truth is, she actually liked Iroh. He was the only person, besides Aang and herself, who could see through his nephews mask.

"I-I know. Maybe I'll be better by tomorrow?" She fake-coughed perfectly.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Maybe."

The next morning, after waking up to Zuko's questioning eyes and his outraged yelling, Katara sat on the floor of the bathroom, listening to her husband mumble angrily to himself. She was curled into a tight ball, holding her arm and rocking back and forth.

Zuko had never been physical towards her. If he was angry, he would make it known, but he had never touched her in a hurtful way, no matter how many close calls there were. He would yell, scream, throw things, but never at her. She supposed that was one good thing about him.

Her head snaps up when the bathroom door opens, revealing her husband leaning against the frame.

"I'm leaving. Stay here and…" He pauses. "Feel better." Then, he shuts the bathroom door and she hears him exit their bedroom.

She can breathe again.

She grips the counter and hoists herself up from the floor, reaching for the doorknob. She waits ten minutes before getting dressed in her usual attire and slipping out of the bedroom.

She must be silent.

If Zuko had ever found out about her and Aang, disastrous results would follow. No matter how great of a general Aang might be, Zuko would have him executed for being a 'traitor'.

Tears pricked her eyes at the thought.

If Aang were executed, she would have nothing to live for. On the other hand, it would not only be her life at stake, it would be the whole worlds. If he died, the resistance would cease to exist.

You see, Aang was leading the resistance.

Foolish Zuko always sent Aang out to control uprisings throughout the land, but what he didn't know was that Aang staged these uprisings, through messenger hawk, so that he could meet with his people.

He was sabotaging Zuko's kingdom from the inside.

He does it so slowly that no one even notices-not even her. For instance, before the council would meet every month, he would change a few unnoticeable words in plans that would have otherwise been disastrous towards the resistance.

No one even saw the change. Aang was amazing like that.

She checked over her shoulder before entering the room a few ways down from hers and Zuko's. She closed the door behind her and surveyed the area.

"Suki?" She called quietly.

Out of nowhere, said girl appeared right before her eyes. Suki dropped to the floor with her hands sprayed out before her and her nose touching the floor. "My Lady." Her delicate voice answered.

Katara smiled slightly. "Suki, you know you don't have to be like that when Zuko isn't around."

The brown-headed woman jumped to her feet, as a soft smile of her own graced her face. "Just being cautious."

Suki was Katara's lady-in-waiting. In other words, her servant. But Katara didn't see it that way. Suki was the only one in the entire palace that knew of her and Aang's relationship. She was trustworthy and kind, making her one of Katara's closest friends.

"Suki, I need a favor."

"Anything."

She pulled out a small piece of paper from the pocket inside her skirt and handed it to her. "Can you please deliver this to Aang? If there is someone else in his room, simply ask him if there is anything he needs. Do _not _give him that message if someone else is around." She sighed and looked at her shoes. "I'm sorry about all of this, Suki. I know how much is at stake if you get caught, but-"

Suki raised a hand to silence her. "Love has risks." She winked at her. "But that's what makes it fun."

Aang stared up at the ceiling.

His muscles ached at the amount of training he had been doing recently, and his head hurt from all the stress there was to handle.

But today was going to be a good day.

He rolled out of bed and checked himself in the bathroom mirror. Grey eyes, tattoos, and lean muscle. When Zuko first laid eyes on him, he smiled at the amount of worth that Aang could bring.

But that was two years ago.

Zuko had no idea what Aang had been doing over these past two years. At the mere age of sixteen, he had already raised a whole army of what many called 'the resistance'.

Now, he was eighteen and powerful.

"General Aang?" A soft voice echoed in his ears.

He exited the bathroom and looked to the entrance of his room, startled by the sight of Suki standing at the doorway.

His eyes brightened. "Suki!" He smiled at her. "Do you…uhm…"

She smirked at him and stuck her hand into her pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper. Aang hurriedly grabbed it. Inside was an arrow, pointing away from him. If it was pointing towards him that meant to stay where he was, and to not see her that day because someone was around.

"Yes! Away from me!" His eyes settled on Suki and he bowed to her, showing his gratitude. Bowing to servants was forbidden in this land and was punishable by banishment.

Aang, however, was never one for following rules.

Suki bowed back, smiled, then disappeared into the hallway.

_Yes_, he thought, _today was going to be a _great _day._

Katara ran the comb through her chocolate, silky hair, brushing all the tangles sleeping on the floor had caused. She pulled a section of her hair back and tied it into a small bun on the back of her head. She allowed two pieces of her hair to fall into her face, complimenting her bone structure. She rinsed her face off with water and patted it dry with a sweet smelling towel.

Aang would be here any minute.

Sometimes, she felt guilty about only dressing up when he was around, but that was only for a short time. Why feel guilty about wanting to look good for the man you loved?

Her eyes ran over her appearance in the bathroom mirror and as soon as she made sure that everything was in place, she left.

Her legs carried her towards the bed and she stared out the window beside her, unlatching the lock and cracking it barely.

The breeze was cold on her skin, making goose bumps appear. She sat in a thoughtful trance for minutes.

She gasped as the window suddenly opened, revealing her lover as he slipped through it easily. "Gosh, it's cold out there." He turned around and closed the window along with curtains. "Feel." He said, turning towards her and placing his hands on her face.

She jumped. "Gosh, Aang. Your hands are like ice." She reached up and took his hands into her own, transferring her heat to him.

He laughed slightly, bringing his mouth to hers and kissing her gently. "Told ya."

She released his hands and moved them up to his orange and yellow robe that hung off his left shoulder. She tugged on it, making him sit down beside her on the bed.

"Did Zuko believe that you were sick?" Aang asked, studying her.

She smiled sadly at him. "He wasn't too happy about it, but what could he do?"

His smile fell. "Did he yell at you?"

She could see a spark of anger flash in his eyes. "No, I could just see it in his face." She lied, knowing it wasn't going to work.

He threw his hands up, his tone hard. "Don't do that, Katara. Not with me."

She felt tears prickle at her eyes and closed them quickly. "I'm not…lying."

His fingers wrapped under her chin and he tilted her face upwards. Her eyes flew open in surprise.

His eyes bore into hers. "Look at me and tell me you aren't lying again."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. She sighed. "I'm sorry. He did yell at me, but you know he would never lay a finger on me."

He cringed at the thought. "No, I don't know that. He's good at being deceptive."

She smiled secretively. "So are you."

A smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe just a little."

He let her go and flopped back onto the bed. "Toph came to my room last night."

At this, her interest perked. "Oh?"

Toph was ranked lower in the military than Aang, but if she had something to say to him, she'd say it. Katara knew that Aang thought highly of her though.

"Yeah." He said, running his hand over his face. "She told me, 'To be careful'." He sighed. "So, either she knows I'm leading the resistance or she knows about us." He peered at her. "I don't know which is worse."

She bit her nails nervously. "Do you think she'll tell anyone?"

Aang shook his head. "I don't think so. She doesn't like Zuko or his army."

The brunette tilted her head to the side. "Then why did she join him?"

He looked at her, his eyes sad. "Why did you marry him?"

Her eyes widened and she looked down at her hands resting in her lap. _She was forced._

She twirled her thumbs around. "Why don't you ask her to join the resistance?"

"I don't know." He sighed, sitting up. "How do I know if I can trust her?"

She pursed he lips. "Good point."

The conversation fell into a comfortable silence. After a few minutes of being lost in each other's thoughts, Aang leaned back into the bed again, pulling her hand with him.

"What are you doing?" She asked, almost excited for his answer.

She fell beside him and he propped himself up, looking at her with a coy smile on his face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, indeed I would."

He leaned towards her, capturing her lips with his. Their mouths danced together for a while before she felt his tongue gently prod her lower lip, begging for entrance. She smiled against him, and opened her mouth slightly, enjoying the feeling of his tongue against hers.

His hands gripped her waist before slowly sliding up to her shirt. He was about to reach underneath the fabric, but he stopped himself, knowing that this wasn't the right time.

Instead, he broke the kiss and intertwined their fingers.

"What time is it?" He asked.

She panted. "I don't know.

He looked down at her and kissed her deeply one last time before pulling away. "I need to go, I'm sure Zuko will be back soon."

She closed her eyes and nodded. She felt him kiss her nose then there was another cold breeze.

When she opened her eyes again, he had vanished.

Aang stretched his arms over his head, sighing in relief whenever his back popped. His feet made no sound on the hallway floor as he made his way to his chambers, a smile playing on his lips the whole way.

Life is good.

Whistling, he turned the corner that led to his room before he knocked into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you the-"

"General Aang."

Aang felt his heart stop when he heard the voice he hated most in the entire world. He focused his eyes on the person before him.

"Lord Zuko." He said, bowing at the waist. "Please forgive me. I didn't know you were there."

"It's quite alright." Zuko said before walking past him, not even making eye contact with his General.

Aang rose from his bow and peered quizzically over his shoulder at Zuko, wondering why he was basically blowing him off.

Zuko turned his head, just enough so that Aang could see his eyes.

And Aang's heart really did stop this time.

Because in that single, cold look Zuko gave him, he communicated two words.

_'I know.'_

**_I was planning on splitting this story into two parts. I'm still a little 'ify' on it, so please give me your feedback and we'll see how it goes, sound good?_**

**_Thank you all for reading this!_**

**_Rememeber to review!_**

**_~SingerOfTheNight_**

here...


End file.
